His lawyer says house arrest makes sense given there was no evidence the captain intended to flee. He says Schettino "never left the scene" of the shipwreck and coordinated the evacuation from the shore after leaving the ship.

Prosecutors are expected to file criminal charges against the captain, including manslaughter and abandoning ship. Schettino has insisted that he stayed aboard until the ship was evacuated. But a recording of his conversation with an Italian Coast Guard captain reveals that he fled to a lifeboat before all passengers were off, then defied orders to get back aboard the listing ship.

Eleven people are known dead and 22 are missing following the Friday night accident. Rescue workers suspended the search today after the ship moved slightly on the rocks.